The 2021 Survivor Series was the 35th annual
Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
and
livestreaming
Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but no ...
event
Event may refer to:
Gatherings of people
* Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion
* Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest
* Event management, the organization of e ...
produced by
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
and
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
brand divisions. The event took place on November 21, 2021, at the
Barclays Center
Barclays Center is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liberty o ...
in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, and was the first Survivor Series to air on the livestreaming service
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
. The theme of the event was brand supremacy and featured wrestlers from the two brands against each other; this was the final Survivor Series to carry the brand supremacy theme.
Seven matches were contested at the event, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. The card was highlighted by two traditional
Survivor Series elimination matches: Raw's men's and women's teams were victorious over SmackDown's. In the main event match, SmackDown's
Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former American football, football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WW ...
defeated Raw's
WWE Champion
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDow ...
Big E. In other prominent matches,
Raw Tag Team Champions
The WWE Raw Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, representing the Raw (WWE b ...
RK-Bro
RK-Bro is an American professional wrestling tag team composed of Randy Orton and Matt Riddle. They are both currently signed to WWE, where they perform on the Raw brand. The team's name is derived from Orton's initials and finisher "RKO" and comb ...
(
Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...
and
Riddle
A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requir ...
) defeated
SmackDown Tag Team Champions
The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE' ...
The Usos
The Usos (born August 22, 1985) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of twin brothers Joshua Samuel Fatu and Jonathan Solofa Fatu, who are known professionally by their respective ring names Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. They are ...
(Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), and in the opening bout,
Raw Women's Champion
The WWE Raw Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main roster, along wi ...
Becky Lynch
Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and ...
defeated
SmackDown Women's Champion
The WWE SmackDown Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championship, world championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion ...
Charlotte Flair
Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr (born April 5, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Charlotte Flair. She is currently inactive.
She is a second-generati ...
. The event also commemorated the 25th anniversary of
The Rock's WWE debut at the
1996 Survivor Series where a 25-man dual-branded battle royal took place in honor of the occasion; Raw's
Omos
Tolulope "Jordan" Omogbehin (born May 16, 1994) is a Nigerian-American professional wrestler and former college basketball player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the WWE Raw brand under the ring name Omos. He played colleg ...
won by last eliminating SmackDown's
Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
. Raw won brand supremacy by winning five of the seven matches, only excluding the pre-show and main event matches. The event also had a promotional tie-in with the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
film ''
Red Notice
An Interpol notice is an international alert circulated by Interpol to communicate information about crimes, criminals, and threats by police in a member state (or an authorised international entity) to their counterparts around the world. The in ...
'', which stars The Rock.
Production
Background
Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
is an annual
gimmick
A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand ou ...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
(PPV) and
WWE Network
WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television and ...
event, produced every November by
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
since 1987. The second longest running pay-per-view event in history (behind WWE's
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...
), it is one of the promotion's original four pay-per-views, along with WrestleMania,
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, and
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
, originally referred to as the "Big Four",
and as of August 2021, it is considered one of the "Big Five", along with
Money in the Bank.
The event is traditionally characterized by having
Survivor Series match
The Survivor Series match is a professional wrestling tag team elimination match held in WWE. The match typically sees two teams pitted against each other and members of the teams are eliminated one-by-one until one entire team is eliminated. Membe ...
es, which are
tag team elimination match
Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ma ...
es that typically features teams of four or five wrestlers against each other.
The 2021 event was the 35th event under the Survivor Series chronology and was scheduled to be held on November 21, 2021, at the
Barclays Center
Barclays Center is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liberty o ...
in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
.
It was also the first Survivor Series to air on
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
after the American version of the WWE Network merged under Peacock in March.
Since WWE reintroduced the
brand split in July 2016, Survivor Series has also centered around competition between wrestlers from
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
and
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
for brand supremacy.
In addition to traditional Survivor Series matches between the brands, the champions of Raw face their SmackDown counterparts in non-title matches, which began at the
2017 event.
The 2021 Survivor Series featured Raw's
WWE Champion
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDow ...
against SmackDown's
Universal Champion, the
Raw Women's Champion
The WWE Raw Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main roster, along wi ...
against the
SmackDown Women's Champion
The WWE SmackDown Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championship, world championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion ...
, Raw's
United States Champion against SmackDown's
Intercontinental Champion
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
, and the
Raw Tag Team Champions
The WWE Raw Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, representing the Raw (WWE b ...
against the
SmackDown Tag Team Champions
The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE' ...
.
The
2019 event had also featured the
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
brand - being elevated to third main brand status with its debut on
USA
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
- involved in the competition, making all brand supremacy matches
triple threats. NXT was removed from the
2020 event due to
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
-related issues, and in September 2021 was repositioned to its previous status as the
developmental
Development of the human body is the process of growth to maturity. The process begins with fertilization, where an egg released from the ovary of a female is penetrated by a sperm cell from a male. The resulting zygote develops through mitosi ...
brand for the main roster under the "NXT 2.0" banner.
Storylines
The event comprised seven matches, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. The matches resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed
heroes
Heroes or Héroes may refer to:
* Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good
Film
* ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama
* ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film
Gaming
* ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
,
villains
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
, or
less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands,
while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, ''
Monday Night Raw
''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network in the United States. The show fe ...
'' and ''
Friday Night SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
.''
On November 6, WWE revealed both Raw and SmackDown's team members for the men's Survivor Series match. Team Raw's members were announced to be
Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins).
Prior to signing ...
,
Finn Bálor
Fergal Devitt (born 25 July 1981) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Finn Bálor (), and is a member of The Judgment Day.
Devitt is widely known for his ten ...
,
Kevin Owens
Kevin Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kevin Owens.
Steen began his career in 2000, at the age of 16. Prior to joining WWE in l ...
,
Rey Mysterio
Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest profes ...
, and
Dominik Mysterio
Dominik Gutiérrez (born April 5, 1997) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Dominik Mysterio, and is a member of The Judgment Day. He is a one-time former Sm ...
.
On the November 8 episode of ''Raw'', WWE official
Adam Pearce
Adam John Pearce (born June 24, 1978) is an American professional wrestling executive and former professional wrestler. He is currently employed by WWE as Director of Live Events, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#agent, producer, trainer, ...
noted that every member of Team Raw was a former world champion, except Dominik. In turn, Pearce scheduled Dominik to face
Bobby Lashley
Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is an eight-time world champion, having been a two-t ...
where the winner would be on the team; Lashley defeated Dominik.
After Rey was seemingly injured during a match with Lashley the following week, Pearce removed Rey from Team Raw and replaced him with
Austin Theory
Austin White (born August 2, 1997) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Bodybuilding, bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring ...
.
For Team SmackDown, its members were announced as
Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
McIntyre is a two-time WWE Champion, one-time WWE Int ...
,
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regarded ...
,
King Woods,
Sami Zayn
Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline.
Prior to join ...
, and
Happy Corbin
Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Baron Corbin.
Pestock is a former of ...
.
On the November 12 episode of ''SmackDown'', Hardy defeated Zayn in a match where the loser would be removed from the team.
The vacant spot was filled the following week by
Sheamus
Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sheamus.
Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on the European indep ...
, who won a
fatal four-way match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to earn the spot.
Also on November 6, WWE revealed both Raw and SmackDown's team members for the women's Survivor Series match. It was announced that
Bianca Belair
Bianca Blair Crawford (born Bianca Nicole Blair; April 9, 1989) is an American professional wrestler and a fitness and figure competitor. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Bianca Belair, and ...
,
Liv Morgan
Gionna Jene Daddio (born June 8, 1994) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Liv Morgan. She is a former SmackDown Women's Champion.
In 20 ...
,
Carmella
Carmella is a female given name. Notable people with the name include:
People
* Carmella DeCesare
Carmella Danielle DeCesare Garcia (born July 1, 1982) is an American model who was ''Playboy'' magazine's Miss April 2003 and Playmate of t ...
,
Queen Zelina
Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen (born December 27, 1990) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Zelina Vega, and is a member of Legado Del Fanta ...
, and one-half of the
WWE Women's Tag Team Champions
The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling women's tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is the only women's tag team championship for WWE's main roster, thus is defended across bot ...
,
Rhea Ripley
Demi Bennett (born 11 October 1996) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Rhea Ripley and is a member of The Judgment Day. She was also the inaugural N ...
, would represent Team Raw. Team SmackDown's members were revealed to be
Sasha Banks
Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado (born January 26, 1992) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sasha Banks.
Banks previously wrestled on ...
,
Shayna Baszler
Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, kickboxer and former mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand. Baszler is a former two-time and longest ...
,
Shotzi
Ashley Louise Urbanski (born March 14, 1992) is an American professional wrestler and singer. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Shotzi (shortened from her previous ring name Shotzi Blac ...
,
Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia.
The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
, and
Aliyah
Aliyah (, ; he, עֲלִיָּה ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel, which is in the modern era chiefly represented by the Israel, State of Israel ...
.
On the November 12 episode of ''SmackDown'', however, WWE official
Sonya Deville
Daria Rae Berenato (born September 24, 1993) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sonya Deville. She is also a former on-scre ...
removed Aliyah from the match seemingly due to her relationship with
Naomi
Naomi or Naomie may refer to:
People and biblical figures
* Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name
* Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth
* Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
, who had been at odds with Deville.
On November 18, Deville revealed via WWE's social media that
Toni Storm
Toni Rossall (born 19 October 1995), better known by the ring name Toni Storm, is a New Zealand-Australian professional wrestler. She is currently signed to AEW, where she is a former AEW Women's World Champion. She previously worked for WWE ...
would fill Team SmackDown's vacant spot.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of
The Rock's WWE debut at the
1996 Survivor Series, a 25-man dual-branded battle royal was scheduled to take place at the 2021 event.
Event
Pre-show
On the Survivor Series Kickoff pre-show, SmackDown's Intercontinental Champion
Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand.
Nakamura is known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where ...
(accompanied by
Rick Boogs
Eric Bugenhagen (born December 21, 1987) is an American professional wrestler and graduated Collegiate wrestling, collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his YouTube presence and his tenure with WWE, where he performed under the ring name Ric ...
) faced Raw's United States Champion
Damian Priest
Luis Martínez (born September 26, 1982) is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Damian Priest, and is a member of the stable The Judgme ...
. Priest controlled the match early while Boogs played his guitar to try and distract Priest. Priest performed a Falcon Arrow for a near-fall. Nakamura countered a Chokeslam with his knee. Priest performed a South of Heaven for a nearfall. Priest attempted The Reckoning, but Nakamura countered with an armbar. In the end, Priest broke Boogs' guitar over his knee and hit Boogs over the head before accidentally hitting Nakamura with it and getting himself disqualified, thus Nakamura won, giving SmackDown the first match of the night.
Also during the pre-show, WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
arrived at the arena holding what he said was a real
Cleopatra
Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...
golden egg, which was part of a promotional tie-in with the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
film ''
Red Notice
An Interpol notice is an international alert circulated by Interpol to communicate information about crimes, criminals, and threats by police in a member state (or an authorised international entity) to their counterparts around the world. The in ...
'', which stars The Rock.
Preliminary matches
The actual pay-per-view opened with Raw Women's Champion
Becky Lynch
Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and ...
taking on SmackDown Women's Champion
Charlotte Flair
Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr (born April 5, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Charlotte Flair. She is currently inactive.
She is a second-generati ...
. The two started the match by slapping and hair pulling. Flair attempted the Top Rope
Moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. It was innovated by Mando Guerrero. Much of its popularity in both Japanese and American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being u ...
, but Lynch shoved her off the top rope to the floor. Lynch applied the Dis-Arm-Her, but Flair countered with a Powerbomb. Lynch performed a
leg drop
A leg drop or legdrop refers to an attack used in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler will jump and land his leg across a fallen opponent's chest, throat, face or head or in some cases, the groin/lower-abdominal area.
The mov ...
to the back of Flair's neck while she was caught up in the ropes. Lynch attempted her own version of Flair's
figure-four leglock
Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use ...
, but Flair reversed the pressure until Lynch made it to the ropes. Flair performed a Queen's Boot for a nearfall. Lynch performed an Inverted DDT and a Manhandle Slam, but Flair put her foot on the bottom rope to void the pin. Flair performed a Top Rope Moonsault on Lynch outside the ring. Back inside, Flair did a
roll-up pin, but the referee caught her holding onto the ropes for leverage. Lynch then reversed the pin and used the ropes herself as leverage to win the match, giving Raw its first match of the night.
Next was the men's Survivor Series elimination match where Team Raw (Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley, and Austin Theory) took on Team SmackDown (Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, King Woods, Sheamus, and Happy Corbin). At the start, Owens walked out on his team and got eliminated by countout. Corbin was eliminated by Bálor following a Coup de Grace. Woods was eliminated by Lashley as he passed out in the
Hurt Lock. Lashley and McIntyre fought outside the ring and both were eliminated by countout. Bálor was eliminated by Sheamus after a
Brogue Kick. Sheamus was eliminated by Theory with a roll-up. Sheamus attacked Hardy before leaving, but Hardy eliminated Theory after a Swanton Bomb. Hardy performed a Twist of Fate on Rollins, but Rollins got the knees up to block the Swanton Bomb and performed
The Stomp on Hardy to win the match as the sole survivor for Team Raw, thus putting the score at 2-1 for Raw.
In a backstage segment,
Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former American football, football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WW ...
met with Mr. McMahon in the latter's office. There, McMahon showed Reigns the golden egg that he said was given to him by Reigns' cousin, The Rock, and that it was worth $100 million as it was the real egg and not a prop used in ''Red Notice''.
After that was the 25-man dual-branded battle royal to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Rock's WWE debut. Raw's
Omos
Tolulope "Jordan" Omogbehin (born May 16, 1994) is a Nigerian-American professional wrestler and former college basketball player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the WWE Raw brand under the ring name Omos. He played colleg ...
dominated the match by eliminating half of the competitors. His tag team partner
AJ Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
stayed outside the ring for most of the match, but was eliminated despite help from Omos. Omos won the match after last eliminating SmackDown's Ricochet, thus giving Raw a 3-1 lead over SmackDown.
The fourth match saw Raw Tag Team Champions
RK-Bro
RK-Bro is an American professional wrestling tag team composed of Randy Orton and Matt Riddle. They are both currently signed to WWE, where they perform on the Raw brand. The team's name is derived from Orton's initials and finisher "RKO" and comb ...
(
Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...
and
Riddle
A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requir ...
) taking on SmackDown Tag Team Champions
The Usos
The Usos (born August 22, 1985) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of twin brothers Joshua Samuel Fatu and Jonathan Solofa Fatu, who are known professionally by their respective ring names Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. They are ...
(
Jey Uso Jey may refer to:
*Jey, Iran, a village in Alborz Province, Iran
*Jey Rural District, in Isfahan Province, Iran
*Alih Jey, a Latin Grammy nominated Dominican Rock music singer and songwriter
*Clarence Jey, a Los Angeles-based Billboard Record Produ ...
and
Jimmy Uso
The Usos (born August 22, 1985) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of twin brothers Joshua Samuel Fatu and Jonathan Solofa Fatu, who are known professionally by their respective ring names Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. They are ...
). This was Orton's 177th match on pay-per-view, breaking a tie with Kane for most pay-per-view matches contested. In the end, Jey performed a
Superkick
Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wre ...
on Riddle. Both Usos performed Double Superkicks on both Orton and Riddle. Jimmy went for the Superfly Splash on Riddle, not knowing that Orton was the legal competitor. Orton caught Jimmy in mid-air with an
RKO
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...
to win the match, thus putting the score at 4–1 for Raw, clinching brand supremacy for the night.
In another backstage segment, Mr. McMahon, Adam Pearce, and Sonya Deville were talking in McMahon's office when they realized that the golden egg had disappeared. McMahon ordered Deville to call the police and then told Pearce to tell everyone on both the Raw and SmackDown rosters to report to ''Raw'' the next night as he was going to get to the bottom of it.
The penultimate match was the women's Survivor Series elimination match where Team Raw (Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Carmella, and Queen Zelina) took on Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks, Shayna Baszler, Shotzi, Natalya, and Toni Storm). Carmella was eliminated by Storm after a Roll-Up while Carmella was trying to put her protective mask on. Storm then eliminated Zelina by performing the Storm One. Morgan eliminated Storm after hitting an Oblivion on Storm. Morgan was eliminated by Banks after both Banks and Shotzi hit back-to-back
Frog Splash
Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are maneuvers in professional wrestling using the ring's posts and ropes as aids, in many cases to demonstrate the speed and agility of smaller, nimble and acrobatically inclined wrestlers prefer ...
es on Morgan. Baszler eliminated Ripley by pinfall after a Knee Strike, leaving Belair at a 4-1 disadvantage. Banks and Shotzi began to argue as Baszler tried to calm things down, but Banks shoved Shotzi into Baszler. Shotzi, Baszler, and Natalya all kept Banks from returning to the ring, resulting in Banks being eliminated by countout. Natalya locked Belair in the
Sharpshooter
A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with "marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" i ...
, but Belair kicked Natalya into Baszler and Belair eliminated Natalya with a Roll-Up. Belair eliminated Baszler after a Glam Slam and then pinned Shotzi after the
Kiss of Death to win the match for Team Raw as the sole survivor, and giving Raw an overall 5-1 lead on the night.
Another backstage segment occurred where interviewer
Kayla Braxton
Kayla Becker (born June 7, 1991) is an American sports broadcaster. She is signed to WWE, where she appears under the ring name Kayla Braxton.
Early life
Becker was born in Wadley, Alabama, on June 7, 1991. She is biracial. When she was nine ...
informed Roman Reigns' special counsel
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight ...
that
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...
's suspension was no longer indefinite.
Main event
In the main event, Raw's WWE Champion
Big E faced SmackDown's Universal Champion Roman Reigns (accompanied by Paul Heyman). Big E attempted the Apron Splash, but Reigns moved out of the way. Big E applied a Stretch Muffler, but Reigns escaped. Reigns performed a Rock Bottom on Big E for a nearfall. Reigns performed a
Superman Punch
A superman punch is a technique used in Sanda, Lethwei, Muay Thai, ITF-style Taekwondo, kickboxing, mixed martial arts fighting and professional wrestling. The technique involves bringing the rear leg forward to feign a kick, then snapping t ...
twice, but missed a
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...
attempt and Big E performed a Spear through the ropes to put Reigns on the floor. Big E attempted a second one, but Reigns countered with the Guillotine submission. Big E countered the submission and performed a Big Ending on Reigns, who got his foot on the bottom rope during the pin. Reigns performed a Spear for a nearfall. On the outside, Big E threw Reigns into the announce table and the barricade, but Reigns reversed another attack and threw Big E into the steel steps. Reigns performed a Superman Punch, and back in the ring, Reigns attacked Big E's injured knee and performed a second Spear on Big E to win the match. Although this gave SmackDown another win, it was only SmackDown's second win for the night, with the final score being Raw 5, SmackDown 2.
Reception
The event received mostly negative reviews from critics and fans alike, specifically towards the Survivor Series elimination matches as well as promoting the event as the 25th anniversary of The Rock's WWE debut but without a live appearance or even a pre-recorded message by The Rock himself. The Rock only appeared in archive footage that highlighted his career.
The event was voted by readers of the ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
'' as the
Worst Major Wrestling Show of 2021.
Aftermath
Raw
The following night on ''Raw'', Mr. McMahon addressed the entire Raw and SmackDown roster over the stolen Cleopatra Egg, stating that whoever found it would be rewarded with a WWE Championship match. He also threatened to fire Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville if the egg was not found. Sami Zayn revealed to McMahon that it was Austin Theory who stole the egg, and Theory explained that he had just wanted to take a selfie with it. McMahon was first mad at Theory, but then told Theory he showed intestinal fortitude, rewarding him a WWE Championship match against Big E in the main event, much to Zayn's confusion and displeasure. Theory, however, lost the title match. This began a storyline between McMahon and Theory,
with Theory becoming McMahon's protégé until McMahon announced his first retirement in July 2022.
Also on ''Raw'', after the aforementioned title match, Big E attacked Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins, who showed up during the match.
The following week, Rollins (who announced that his match against Big E for the WWE Championship would take place at
Day 1) attacked Owens during the latter's match against Big E. As a result, Owens was added to the title match, making it a
triple threat match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
.
However, it became a fatal four-way match when Bobby Lashley, who recently completed his feud with Rey and Dominik Mysterio, defeated Owens, Rollins, and Big E in a
gauntlet match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
.
SmackDown
On the following episode of ''SmackDown'', a Black Friday Invitational
Battle Royal
Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
took place, where the winner would face Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at a future date. In the end, Jeff Hardy thought he won by last eliminating Happy Corbin, but Sami Zayn, who wasn't officially eliminated, eliminated Hardy to win the match. Immediately afterwards, it was announced that Brock Lesnar's suspension was lifted and he would return the following week.
There, he convinced Zayn into cashing in his title shot that night. It was then announced that the winner would defend the title against Lesnar at Day 1. Just before the match, Lesnar attacked Zayn, allowing Reigns to quickly defeat Zayn and retain the title, officially scheduling Reigns to defend the championship against Lesnar at Day 1.
After Shayna Baszler, Shotzi, and Natalya caused Banks to be eliminated by countout during the women's Survivor Series match, Banks teamed with Naomi, who would continue her feud with Sonya Deville over the next few weeks, to defeat Natalya and Baszler on the following episode of ''SmackDown''.
Future
The 2021 Survivor Series would be the final Survivor Series to carry the brand supremacy theme, as on September 19, 2022, WWE executive
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as on ...
announced that the 2022 event would not be based on this concept. He also announced that the 2022 event would feature two
WarGames match
WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of either four, five, or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not ...
es, one each for the men and women, marking the first time for a main roster WWE event to feature the match. The 2022 event was in turn renamed as
Survivor Series WarGames.
Results
Survivor Series elimination matches
References
External links
*
{{WWEPPV, Survivor Series
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
2021 WWE Network events
2021 WWE pay-per-view events
Events in Brooklyn, New York
Professional wrestling in New York City
2021 in New York City
November 2021 events in the United States